Hopes and Dreams
by Noa-Pearl
Summary: Catherine and Vartann try to make their relationship work while she's in Quantico and he's in Las Vegas, slowly discovering that love and lust isn't always enough. Sequel to At First Sight.
1. Prologue

_Summary: Catherine and Vartann try to make their relationship work while she's in Quantico and he's in Las Vegas, slowly discovering that love and lust isn't always enough. Sequel to At First Sight.  
Note: Hi guys! New story from me... I'm not able to update very often 'cause I'm working way too much these days, but I promise I'll do my best. Here's a little teaser to start, let me know if you're interested in more or not! xx. _

**Prologue**

"What are you doing?"

"I was about to get some sleep… That was until you called though, you're having dayshifts?"

"No, I'm just doing some quick paperwork and I missed you."

"Oh I bet… I miss you too."

"What are you wearing?"

A small chuckle escaped from Catherine's lips. "Why are you so interested? You're at work, remember?"

"Hmm, I know. I just… God, what I wish I could do to you… I can't believe it's only been a month since I've seen you."

"I know honey. Why don't you come here for a couple of days? If you can with work, of course.."

"I'll let you know, honey. Oh, wait…. I gotta go. We'll talk later, okay? I love you."

"Love you too."

Catherine hung up her phone with a sigh, thinking about the last couple of weeks yet again. Her last night with Lou was very vivid in her mind, but she was aching for his touch. She missed him so bad. She'd been in Quantico for almost a month now. The job was great, so were the people. Nothing close to the people she'd left behind in Vegas, but they were definitely kind and good people. She and Lou had been calling each other lot and they skyped as much as it was possible. And though they'd definitely ended up finding some interesting ways to keep each other close and have some kind of sexual relationship with each other –yes, she know understood why some people thought phone sex was so exciting,-, it was nothing compared to feeling his arms around her.

Although Catherine felt she had made the right decision to make a change in her career, she wondered if moving to Quantico was actually the best place to do so. One moment, she figured she shouldn't be acting stupid and just try her best, seeing where things with Lou were heading one day at a time. Her other half missed the excitement of their relationship. How she loved spotting him at work, in the back of her mind still thinking about how he'd been on top of her mere hours before. How she adored their moments shared during their work hours…. She knew she forgot about the bad times they'd had easily. But she figured that was the effect he had on her. She was drawn to him, in a way she'd never been drawn to anyone else before.


	2. Calling Home

_Note: Hi guys! Thanks so much for the sweet messages about the prologue, I appreciate them so much! This next chapter isn't very long either, but I tried my best and really wanted to give you guys a new chapter! Please enjoy! xx._

**Chapter 1: Calling Home**

"Hey! Can you see me?"

Catherine waved her hands in front of the camera and Lou was chuckling from behind his computer. "I can see you perfectly fine, honey."

A groan escaped from her mouth. "Stupid Skype."

"Don't get too upset about it."

Catherine was about to give a smart mouthed reply when she saw him smiling at her. Ah… She loved that smile. She curled up on the couch with her laptop in front of her as she said: "Anyway. Tell me what you've been doing. I want to hear a very great excuse for not being able to visit me next week."

Although she was smiling, she was very serious and even slightly upset. After their phone call a couple of days ago, Catherine was quite sure Lou would be coming soon. His first time in Quantico; she was so excited. She knew she'd been a bit ahead of the plans but she figured there hadn't been a reason for her not to be. That was until he'd told her yesterday he wouldn't be able to make it.

Lou could tell Catherine was keeping up some kind of act, even though she was shown to him in quite a bad connection in pixels that weren't too well. "I'm sorry, Cath. I talked about it but I was told there were more people who'd already taken vacation those days. And they did that a lot earlier than I. I'm really sorry honey, you know I want to see where you live, where you work… Just see you."

"I know baby," Catherine murmured.

Both were silent for a while until Catherine said: "I know this is going to sound pathetic… But I miss you so much. I miss having you around and seeing you at work… Hugging you, sleeping with you… In more than one way," she added.

Lou chuckled. "You're not the only one. I'll try my best to arrange something for later on, okay?"

Catherine nodded, still a little disappointed. She'd hoped he would tell her it had all been a joke and that he was coming anyway. "Okay. So, when do you have to get to work?"

Lou took a look at his watch. "I have to leave in fifteen minutes or so. You're done for the day?"

She yawned. "Yeah, just got back… It's bloody hot in here, it's insane. It's different from the Vegas heat… So stupid." Catherine undid two buttons of her blouse as she put her hair up in a ponytail, making Lou gulp on the screen, luckily for him without her hearing so. He was currently seeing right into her chest, spotting the slight hills of her breasts, which were being pushed up slightly by a pastel blue bra. One he hadn't seen before. God, he missed her.

"Honey, I'm not complaining, but I hope you're not getting any other visitors tonight."

Catherine raised her eyebrows. "And why is that?"

"You're cleavage is showing. Gorgeous bra, by the way."

A smug smile appeared on Catherine's lips, knowing exactly what to do now. Catherine always had the perfect ideas to keep their relationship somewhat interesting, even with them being apart. This was no exception. "I have no idea what you're talking about…. It's still hot in here though."

She undid another button, perfectly aware of the cleavage that was showing. Catherine pushed her blouse even more aside, showing off her neck and cleavage, knowing Lou was able to see everything. Perhaps not that clear due to their bad internet connection, but still.

"What are you doing, Cath?"

A chuckle escaped from her lips as she looked straight into the screen again. "I don't know, what do you think I'm doing?"

Lou smiled. He was perfectly aware of what she was doing. "Honey… I have to go to work soon."

"Oh really? That's too bad…" She undid another button of her blouse, causing the blouse to be completely loose now, showing off her perfectly flat belly.

"Cath… Don't."

Catherine knew she was turning him on and she loved it. "Don't do what?" She let the blouse slid off of her shoulders, knowing Lou would have to leave soon. Although she would've been more than perfectly fine with Lou staying, playing this little game with Lou for a few short minutes was something she enjoyed as well.

Lou wished he was close to hear so he could rip off the rest of Catherine's clothes and make love to her. He missed her so much. "You're beautiful, honey."

She smiled. "Well, thank you, detective. So are you. You're even more beautiful without that shirt though."

Lou chuckled. "That's good to know." He then sighed and Lou was disappointed when he added: "I have to go Cath. I wish we'd had some more time…"

"Me too, honey."

* * *

Lou entered the police department without looking where he was going; Catherine was still on his mind. Although talking to her and seeing her on the computer was great, it made him miss her even more. He really wanted to make their relationship work but he knew it was a tough thing. He sighed before impulsively making his way to Jim Brass's office, not even knocking before walking in.

Luckily, Jim hadn't been in a meeting, though he did look slightly surprised to find the usually calm detective bursting in like that. "Vartann, good afternoon. How can I help you?"

"Jim. Sorry, hi. I just need to talk to you."

The older detective looked at his co-worker with a small smile as he said: "Let me guess, you need a few days off."

Lou raised his eyebrow. "How do you know?"

"Ecklie told me you'd rushed out of his office two days go after a conversation about your vacation. Figured you'd give it try with me as well."

A small chuckle escaped from Lou lips as he said: "Well, that's great… I know it was rude of me to leave Ecklie's office like that. He was being an ass though. I just… I really want to see Catherine… And I've got tons of vacation days left. There must be something we can do, right?"

"Lou, listen.." Jim ruffled his hair as he said: "I want to help you… Especially since I know it'll help Catherine as well, she's one of my oldest and best friends.. But there are three of our detectives gone for the next two weeks. I can't get you off until the 25th."

A quick calculation is his head told Lou that would be 20 days. More than two weeks. He sighed. "Okay, if that's the earliest.. Please."

Jim nodded. "Okay. How much time do you need?"

* * *

A knock on the door startled Catherine. It was almost ten and she definitely wasn't expecting any visitors. She made her way over to the door, wondering who would be interrupting her at that hour. The peephole in her door didn't reveal that much to her, making her slightly apprehensive when she opened the door. That feeling disappeared soon though when she spotted a very familiar person in front of her door, smiling at her with a smile she knew all too well. That was definitely an unexpected visitor. A huge smile appeared on Catherine's face as she said: "What are you doing here?"

_Note: Oeh, a surprise-visitor for Catherine! Who's it gonna be... What do you guys think? xx._


	3. Unexpected Visitor

___Note: Hi guys! I'm so glad you all respond so great on this story, it means so much to me! I appreciate the reviews a lot and I'm so sorry for being so lousy on updating most of my stories lately. This chapter isn't too long but I hope it's still fun and that you all enjoy it! xx_

**Chapter 2: Unexpected Visitor**

Catherine threw herself in the arms of the person in front of her, repeating her question again. "What are you doing here? It's so great to see you!"

The man in front of her chuckled, surprised by the sudden contact of the gorgeous woman. The huge cuddle she was giving him was almost squeezing him to death, but he didn't mind. He was very happy to see her as well. "It's great to see you too, Catherine. Jim gave me your address, I figured I'd give you a visit now that I was in the neighborhood."

"In the neighborhood?" Catherine let go of the man and looked at him. He chuckled as he said: "I have to give a couple of lectures at a conference in Washington. Perfect reason to visit an old friends, isn't it?"

"Absolutely perfect." Catherine couldn't help but hug the man again as she said: "God, it's so great to see you again, Gil!"

* * *

It felt as if they'd seen each other the day before; they were so comfortable next to each other on the couch. Catherine handed Gil a glass of wine before she said: "So, tell me… How long are you staying? And when are your lectures?"

"I'm starting in two days… Have to give them Thursday, Friday, Tuesday and Wednesday."

"Aah, so you're staying for almost two weeks?" Her eyes lit up in excitement as she added: "That is so great! I can show you around, show you where I work.. That would be great."

"I'd love to see everything, Cath." Grissom was being his calm, usual self, but Catherine could tell he was happy to see her as well.

Catherine stared at him for a moment until she said: "So.. Where have you been lately? Sara didn't really talk about you too often and, well… It's been a while since we'd talked."

"I know… I've been in Europe, lately. Paris, still, actually. Doing some lecturing, stuff like that… It was time to get back to the States though."

"You're gonna stay here for a while?"

Gil smiled. "Well, I'm planning on moving back to Vegas, doing some lectures there. I'd like to get back to the city, I'm starting to miss it."

A dark cloud escaped above Catherine's head when Gil spoke those words. She sighed before she said: "Yeah… I know."

Her friend eyed her for a bit, noticing she'd lost weight since the last time he'd seen her. He knew that had been a while, but still. She was a lot paler too. "Something you wanna share?"

Catherine shrugged. "Too depressing. I mean, it's great, working here and everything… But I… I miss Lou. I never thought it would be so difficult to maintain a relationship while being so far away. But you know all about that, don't you?"

Gil smiled at her. "Cath, listen… I know things get tough. But the most important part is that you keep communicating and… Well… Keep loving each other."

A small chuckle escaped from Catherine's lips. "What's happened to the I-don't-talk-about-love-Gil-Grissom?"

He shrugged before he said: "I guess he grew older. And wiser."

* * *

Lou was walking out of the Las Vegas police department when his phone rung. He was happy to see it was Catherine calling him. "Hey honey."

"Lou, hi! Am I bothering you?"

The voice on the other line was happy and joyful, something Lou adored to hear. "Yeah, I was just on my way to my car. Didn't expect you to call anymore actually, you're okay?"

"Yeah, I just wanted to say hi."

He chuckled, noticing the tone of her voice; she'd definitely been drinking. "That's very cute. Are you sure you're okay?" Catherine didn't immediately reply, and he was slightly worried when he heard her mumble: "Can you grab the bottle out of the kitchen please," before saying: "Yes, I'm great! Actually, I have a visitor."

Lou stopped walking as he said: "Oh, well, that's good. Someone from work?"

"No. It was kind of a surprise to me as well, but Gil's here! He's giving some lectures in Washington and he decided to come and visit me. Great, right?"

Gil Grissom? Lou knew he and Catherine had barely been in touch and it was a big surprise to find out he was in Quantico now. Drinking wine with Catherine. Lou knew he shouldn't be jealous about Catherine catching up with an old friend, but it was hard not to. He took a breath and hoped Catherine couldn't tell he was slightly jealous as he said: "That's a coincidence, I'm sure you two have a lot of catching up to do… Don't drink too much though honey, I don't want you hangover at your job."

Lou could hear Catherine chuckle before she said: "I'm off tomorrow, remember?"

"Oh, right… I forgot. Well, still don't drink too much, okay? I have to head over to a suspect's house now."

Catherine seemed to be completely oblivious to those words though as she said: "Why are you hammering on about me not drinking too much?"

Lou continued walking to his car as he said: "Honey, I just don't want you to get sick. Enjoy your evening, tell Grissom I said hi."

"You're just being jealous, aren't you? Because Gil's here and you're not."

"Catherine, I'm not going to fight with you about this. I didn't mean anything with it, I'm sorry for worrying about you." Lou knew she was only gonna get more upset with him since he wasn't being too kind with those words. He really didn't want to pick a fight though, which was why he added: "Please, enjoy your evening… I really have to go. I love you."

"Yeah, whatever… We'll talk later."

She hung up the phone before he was able to reply, making Lou feel a bit annoyed. This was the first time he and Catherine had been in an argument since they were living apart, and it bothered him that it had happened while Gil was with Catherine.

* * *

Gil looked at Catherine as she threw her phone next to her, sighed, and then took another sip of her wine. He smiled. He knew the only reason Catherine was being upset with Lou was because she was missing him; not because of him being jealous. He put his own glass on the table as he said: "Cath, I think you should get some sleep. I don't want Lou to get another call with you being upset on the other end of the line."

"I'm not upset, he is."

Gil chuckled. "I bet. You should sleep, we can meet later tomorrow for some lunch if you'd like."

"I don't want to sleep, don't boss me around. I just want… I don't know what I want."

Gil could restrain himself from chuckling again since he knew Catherine was upset, despite her insisting she wasn't. Under protest, he grabbed her glass as he said: "Cath, I think you should text Lou you're sorry, get some sleep, and talk to him in the morning. You miss him… It's normal. Most people would handle that differently, but, well, who am I to judge?"

Catherine eyed him suspiciously as she tried to grab her glass out of his hands, which wasn't working at all. "Since when did you become an expert, Gil?"

He shrugged. "Like I said… I grew older and wiser." Gil grabbed his coat as he walked to the door, Catherine following close behind him. He smiled as he said: "It was great seeing you, Catherine. I'll call you tomorrow, okay?"

She nodded, hugging him again before she said: "I'm glad to see you too, I've missed you."

Gil squeezed her hand. "I've missed you too. Now stop drinking and sleep."

Catherine chuckled. "I will."

How can she just call me like that, end a conversation like that, and then not tell me she's sorry? Those things had been going through Lou's head the rest of his shift. He wasn't too fond on Catherine's behavior on the telephone earlier and he wondered if she would remember. Lou knew he could call her as well since she would probably be up already, but he was being stubborn; he wanted her to call him first.

As he got home, he threw off his shoes and walked up the stairs immediately. He wasn't hungry and just wanted to sleep. When his head hit his pillow, his phone beeped. Lou decided to let it pass, but when it beeped again and again, he figured it was important.

He opened his first text message, which said: "_I'm sorry."_

The next message said: "_I was just tired. And missing you."_

The third message told him: "_Oh, and I know you trust me. I'm sorry for implying other wise."_

Lou was about to text her back as another one came in: "_And I love you too. Skype in a few hours?"_

Despite his earlier annoyance, Lou had to chuckle. Even in text-messages, Catherine was being cute. Though he still didn't appreciate the way she'd been talking to him, he most definitely accepted her apologize. And he definitely couldn't wait to talk to her later that day.

_Note: That's it for now! Like some of you said, the visitor is Gil! I adore Gil and Catherine, both friendship-wise and as a (non-existing haha) couple, and, well, there's definitley more to Gil's visit than just a surprise-visit... Please let me know how you guys feel about it thusfar, I love hearing from you! xx._


	4. Webcam Session

_Note: Hi guys! Just a little warning before starting this chapter... It's very much M-rated, so if you dislike reading that, I suggest you skip this chapter. I'm sorry for not having a more interesting update if you don't like reading it. For those who don't mind though, I hope you guys will like it. This is not something I write a lot but I kind of wanted to put this here, even though it really doesn't do much for the story... Yet. ;-) . X_

**Chapter 3: Webcam Session**

"Catherine.. I know you're not a genius with these technical stuff, but I'm sure you're aware of the fact that your webcam is pointing to something else than you. It's all… Black."

Lou could hear Catherine chuckle. "Just wait… I want to say something first. I'm really sorry for being an angry drunk and calling you… It was stupid and unnecessary. I'm sorry… And I decided to make it up with you."

Lou smiled at his screen, knowing Catherine was able to see him. She had indeed been a bad drunk before, but he had honestly forgiven her the moment she'd sent him those text messages. He wondered with what exactly she'd be coming up to make it up to him.

"Okay, you're ready?" Catherine's voice seemed low and husky and it immediately caused Lou to pay even more attention. He had a slight idea of what Catherine was up to… And if she would do what he was secretly expecting her and hoping her to do, he'd be more than happy.

The image that popped up after –in Lou's opinion too long of a wait- a few seconds, made Lou frown. It was green. Green lace, with small studs. It wasn't very sharp. He was perfectly aware of what she was showing him though. He could tell Catherine wasn't able to resist a chuckle before she said: "What do you think this is, mister Vartann?"

"I think it has a lot of resemblance to a gift I've given you a few days before you left… I haven't really had too much fun with that."

"Ah. Good guess."

He could hear her fumbling around with her computer slightly before she finally came in his view. He finally saw her sparkling blue eyes, her strawberry blonde hair that he wish he could nuzzle his nose into, her beautiful pale, freckled skin… Though the freckles weren't that greatly visible. Best part was that she was only clad in her green panties and bra, looking absolutely stunning. "If this will become your usual way of saying sorry I think you should pick fights with me more often."

"Hmm, I bet."

Lou wasn't sure of what to do next; she was just lying there, looking at him on her computer, doing absolutely nothing. They had been doing some fun, slightly sexual things through Skype. She'd never been in front of him clad in only her underwear though and he was wondering what exactly she was about to do. He was glad when she started talking again.

"So, mister Vartann… I decided you should be the one telling me what to do for the next ten minutes. Starting…. Now."

A startled look appeared on Lou's face; what was she thinking. He scraped his throat and he knew he sounded nervous as he said: "What exactly do you mean by that?"

"Honey, your first minute is almost up already… I want you to do exactly what I just said. Tell me what you want me to do. If there's anything you've ever wanted me to do.. Naked. Or not naked. Or almost naked… Please tell me now." She paused before adding: "If there's nothing you want we'll just, well.. Be quiet."

Lou knew Catherine herself definitely wasn't opting for that option and he chuckled. He loved this side of Catherine; energetic, sexy, even kinky… She was so hot. He smiled before saying: "You have no idea how many things I would love to see you do… Especially naked."

Catherine chuckled. "Seven and a half minutes left, Lou…. Hurry."

"Okay, let me see… Jesus, Cath, you could've given me some more preparation time. There tons of things."

"That would've spoiled the fun."

Lou thought about it for a few seconds. What could he let her do? There were tons of things he would love to see her do, some of them even too embarrassing to speak out loud. He felt a bit uncomfortable when he murmured: "Can you dance? Dance the way you used to dance… Back in the day?"

A smug smile appeared on her lips as Catherine said: "Never thought that would've been your first choice. But I will. I'll tell you though, it's more fun when you're close… You're the only one who would be allowed to touch." She winked before setting up her computer, making sure she would be in his full view. She quickly searched her computer for the perfect song before she said: "You'll get an extra minute since I wasn't prepared for this. You ready?"

He nodded in anticipation, more than content the moment Catherine moved her hips for the first time, swaying lightly to the music. He couldn't restrain a chuckle when she said: "Too bad I don't have a pole here…"

She moved her arms to the music, her fingers tracing the skin between her bra and her panties as she said: "You're wishing these are your fingers right now?"

"I didn't tell you to be a smart-ass, Catherine."

Catherine shook her head and chuckled before continuing, her hips moving as her own hands roamed her body, closing her eyes, completely absorbed with the music. She felt relieved when she realized she wasn't brought back into her actual dancing days; all she could see behind her eyelids were Lou's gorgeous eyes. She turned her back to him, hearing him protest as she did before moving her hands to her bra, teasing it's straps before sliding them down her arms. She unclasped the bra in ease afterwards, tossing the bra aside, but her back still facing the camera.

Lou had been able to maintain himself from doing anything sexual since the moment she'd started dancing. It was hard, though. Catherine showing off her body like that aroused him. She was so beautiful, dancing the way she did… When she threw her bra aside though, he couldn't help gulping. Not only were his jeans getting way, way too tight, he was also burning with desire. He just wished he would be able to kiss and touch her. To make love to her.

"You should really get some sleep, Lou, I don't want you to get all cranky due to a lack of sleep. Although it might appeal to you since you would be able to blame me for it and I would have to make it up to you."

Lou smiled at the woman on his computer screen, now dressed in one of his t-shirts only. She looked stunning. "That's something I'd consider."

She chuckled. "Go sleep, honey. Call me when you're awake, okay?"

"I will. I love you, Catherine."

"I love you too. Sweet dreams." Catherine blew him a kiss before breaking the connection, leaving Lou behind with a smile.

Her dancing had been extremely arousing, and the events that had happened afterwards had been something very new. To both of them. But neither one of them would complain about it. His mind quickly drifted off to moments earlier. The moment Catherine had decided to drop her panties as well, commenting they'd been all wet and uncomfortable. That remark had made him so horny. Which was what he'd told her as well. His mind drifted off to the words she had uttered then.

_"What do you want me to do, Lou?"_

_She stood there, all naked in front of him, asking him what he wanted. God, Lou wanted her to come back to Vegas and have his way with her. He knew that wouldn't be very useful though. He licked his lips before saying: "Pleasure yourself."_

_Catherine smiled. Very, very sexy. "Your time's up though. You know what, I have a perfect idea. I'll do what you want me to… But then you'll have to do it as well."_

_Lou unbuckled his seatbelt immediately, nodding as he murmured: "I think that is absolutely perfect."_

_He was relieved when he'd popped open the button of his jeans, giving his grown member some more place as he took off his pants and boxers in a swift movement. He smiled when he heard Catherine's husky voice tell him: "Take off your shirt too. Too good to hide all of that."_

_When he was naked as well he looked back to the screen, smiling at the appreciating look on Catherine's face. Without a word, she spread her legs, moving her thumb down, teasing herself, not able to restrain a moan. She was wet enough though; she slid in a finger, quickly followed by another._

_Her moaning made him close his eyes. Catherine's stern voice telling him to keep them open prevented him from doing so though. She was so beautiful. Frequent moans started escaping from her lips. Lou couldn't stop himself anymore. He moved his hand to his member, teasing his tip before starting to move his hand. _

Yes, sex with Catherine was incredible. Their very first sexual Skype session though had been something as well, something Lou would have incredible memories from. His woman so far away was tough, but it definitely caused them to experience their sexuality on new levels.

Lou closed his computer with a sigh. He didn't feel like taking a shower, but decided doing so would be the best idea. He was glad he would be able to see Catherine in a few weeks; nothing could beat seeing her in person.

_Note: That's it, folks. What did you guys think? X._


	5. Quantico's Tangled Web

_Note: Hi guys! Fast update, huh? Since I assumed not everyone liked the previous chapter, I figured I owed another quick update. It's not that long, but I promise things will get very interesting... Hope you like it! XX._

**Chapter 4: Quantico's Tangled Web**

"You look happy."

"Yeah, I am." Catherine cut her co-worker short with that, not feeling very happy about talking to the man. Alex Beltzer reminded her too much of Conrad Ecklie and it annoyed her like crazy. Besides having the annoying characteristics of Ecklie, he was also a master in making her uncomfortable. He was always trying to touch her, always standing a little bit too close to her… It gave her chills. Unfortunately for Catherine, she had to report to him a lot. Like today. She didn't move from her place in his doorstep, hoping he would stay put in his chair.

"I'm leaving, I've got an appointment. I've put all files on Preston's desk, he has to sign them, he'll hand them over to you when he leaves. I'll see you tomorrow."

Catherine turned around, but was stopped by Alex's nagging voice telling her: "Miss Willows, can you hold on for a minute?"

She turned back around again and wanted to curse when she saw Alex standing up. She looked at her watch and replied: "I really have to leave. Is there something else you need?"  
"I just wanted to say you've been doing a great job here. You're an asset to our team."

"Well, thank you. Anything else?"

"No."

Before the man could say another word, Catherine said: "Okay, then I'm gonna go."

She quickly turned around again and walked away, praying the man wouldn't follow her outside. He annoyed the shit out of her, and, even though she hated admitting it, he kind of scared her as well. Catherine was happy to see he hadn't followed her out, and couldn't wait to meet up with Grissom in a local diner.

Alex watched the redhead disappear out of his sight, sighing with content. He loved how he was able to make her uncomfortable. The redhead was one of the prettiest women he'd ever seen. He wasn't sure whether she was already attached to a man or not, but he was sure he would get her anyhow.

* * *

"Gil, I'm sorry I'm late! Creepy boss kept nagging."

Catherine slid down next to Gil in the booth he'd chosen as the man smiled. "Ah. New Conrad Ecklie?"

"You bet."

A waitress immediately scooted over to their both, nodding after Catherine's order of coffee and French toast before Catherine turned back to Gil. "So… What do you wanna do today? We can do some more touring… Or just relax… Your choice. But tomorrow your lectures start so I suggest you'll do something fun today."

"Those lectures are fun, Catherine."

Catherine looked at her friend with an amused look on her face as she said: "Yeah. Sure. Whatever you say, Gil."

Gil was about to reply when a voice said: "Catherine? Hey, what are you doing here?"

Catherine turned around and smiled when she saw her partner from work, Samuel Preston, standing behind her. "Sam, hey! I didn't know you came here as well."

The man shrugged and smiled. "Yeah, every now and then."

"This is my friend, Gil Grissom. He was my boss and colleague in Vegas… But most of all he's my best friend."

Gil gave the younger man a hand and smiled politely, noticing the man barely took a look at him before he turned back to Catherine. Gil noticed the man was a bit younger than Catherine, looking a bit like Nick, only with blonde hair and a less nicer face. And a grin which was way too slick. Gil didn't like the way the man stared at Catherine, nor did he like the way he put his hand on her shoulder. Something about the man was off, though Gil couldn't quite put his finger on it. He didn't like him being Catherine's partner though.

The moment Samuel left, Catherine said: "So, that's my partner now, Samuel. Nice guy, huh?"

Gil shrugged and said: "I bet he is."

Catherine knew immediately Gil wasn't that fond of Samuel though, according to the way he was acting. She raised her eyebrow as she said: "You're not too enthusiastic, Gil, what's going on?"

Gil shrugged again, not wanting to offend Catherine in any way. He knew she was going to be stubborn anyway though, bothering him until he'd tell her what would be his issue with the man. That was why he muttered: "There's just something odd about him, Catherine. The way he looked at you… It reminded me of Delhomme."

She eyed him suspiciously as she thought about those words. Delhomme… The Julie Water's case. The case in which Gil choose her over Sara and Nick, something especially Sara hadn't been very forgiving about towards Catherine. That Delhomme was indeed a creep. Catherine chuckled slightly as she said: "Thanks for looking out for me Gil, but I'm sure Samuel isn't like that man at all. He's a nice guy, honestly. He's just very.. Easy-going I guess. But thanks for looking out for me."

He nodded, not saying another word as he waitress came back with their food. Gil did want to look out for Catherine, no matter what. But being the stubborn woman she was, he knew she wouldn't give into his concerns at this point. He smiled at her before he said: "So… I was thinking about going to the Lincoln Memorial today. Something you've got to do while you're here, isn't it? You're joining me?"

* * *

"Hey, you're up early…"

Catherine already knew it was Lou on the other end of the phone, surprised he was already awake at one in the afternoon, his current time.

"I know, couldn't get any more sleep though. What are you up to?"

Catherine signed to Gil she was about to sit down as he walked some more around the memorial before saying: "I'm with Gil, visiting the Lincoln Memorial.. He's all excited."

"Aah. Well, you're gonna have to visit it again when I'm there."

A chuckle escaped from Catherine lips before she said: "Anything for you, honey."

Lou smiled on the other and of the line as he said: "I just called to tell you I loved what we did this morning… Very bright idea of you."

"Well, I'm glad you found it entertaining. I've enjoyed myself as well." Catherine smiled, bringing back that recent memory again before adding: "I should go though, Lou. I don't think the words I'm about to say are suitable to hear for all other people around."

"Too bad, honey. We'll talk later okay, I love you."

"Love you too, honey."

* * *

Lou put his phone down with a smile, enjoying his just made cup of coffee as he settled himself on the couch in his sweatpants, turning on the television, yet not paying too much attention. He tried to restrain himself from being jealous of Catherine's relationship with Gil, knowing they were good friends. He tried to keep his mind focused on the NCIS episode which was currently showing on television, but got distracted when his phone started beeping once. Twice. Was Catherine sending him messages again?

He quickly made his way over to the kitchen, where he'd left his phone, and opened the first message. _You're absolutely gorgeous and even thinking about your dick turns me on again. That was what I wanted to tell you this morning. I love you. _

Yes, that was most definitely Catherine. He wondered what she'd forgotten to make her sent him another message. He raised his eyebrow when he noticed there wasn't a number that had sent the message. He forgot that though when he read the words in the message. _I know what you and your gorgeous redhead do and I'm sure neither one of your bosses like it. You work for the state, remember? Lose the redhead or I'll make you lose her._

_Note: Dum dum dum... Two new people introduced to you all, and Lou getting a strange text-message... Is there a connection? Or not? What do you guys think? xx._


	6. Sway

_Note: Thanks a lot for the sweet responses on the last two chapters, I appreciate them a lot! There's a small M-rated part in the middle of this chapter, just to warn you guys. Nothing too serious, but still... Hope you guys like it! X. _

**Chapter 5: Sway**

"Jim, I'm glad I could come…"

"Yeah, no problem.." The older detective yawned, and Lou had to admit he looked sleepy. And from the clothes the man were wearing, Lou figured he'd woke him up.

"I'm sorry for bothering you, but like I said, it's important."

"No problem. You want something to drink?"

Lou shook his head, wanting to get to the point as quickly as possible. "I received a strange text message and I'm not sure what to do with it." He handed his cellphone to Brass, who looked at it with interest.

The older man raised his eyebrow and said: "I assume the redhead is Catherine… What is it that you guys are doing, Lou?"

Lou shrugged in response. "Honestly, I don't have a clue. I don't think we've done anything that could possibly harm our jobs."

Jim nodded. "Okay. I think that perhaps this is all some kind of sick joke. I suggest you don't take it too seriously. Bring your phone to work with you tomorrow, then we can try to trace the number it came from. I know this is a threat, Lou, but please don't take it too serious. I'll let someone look at it first thing as we get back to work though, I promise. I don't want anything to happen to either one of you."

* * *

Catherine woke up with a smile on her face, enjoying the sunlight shining into her room and the birds quietly chirping. She noticed it was only seven in the morning, giving her almost two hours until she needed to get to work, and lazily decided to get up. She took off the shorts she'd been wearing and changed into a slightly sloppy pair of sweatpants before walking downstairs to make some coffee.

While she walked, she thought of how quiet her house was. A little bit too quiet. It had been relaxing, at first, being on her own, enjoying her rest. But now that she'd been spending a lot of time with Gil, she realized how much she missed having some noises around. Though she got along with most of her co-workers very well, she hadn't really made any great friends yet. Catherine hated to admit it, but sometimes, she felt lonely, and it made her doubt her moving away from Vegas instantly.

She knew Lou was working but she couldn't resist grabbing her phone and dialing his number. It was obvious to her that he hadn't seen who'd been calling as she heard his slightly tense and cranky voice yelling his last name in his phone. She couldn't help but chuckling as she said: "Well, hello to you too sweetheart. Am I calling at a bad time?"

Lou cursed himself for picking up the way he had; Catherine would definitely think something was wrong. "Sorry honey… I'm having a shitty day."

"No problem.. I just wanted to say hi. I miss you."

"Miss you too. Listen Cath, I have to talk to a suspect. Call me when you get home from work tonight, okay?"

"I will. Good luck tonight."

"You too honey, take care of yourself." Catherine was surprised with those last words Lou had told her; he'd never told her that before.

While Catherine was getting ready for the day, Lou stormed to Jim Brass's office in Las Vegas. "Jim, you've got a word yet on that number?"

Jim shook his head, surprised with the detective's behavior; Lou was definitely upset and worried. Though Jim understood his concern, he wasn't sure why exactly Lou was taking the text message so seriously. Yes, it was a threat. But how serious was it exactly?

"I'm sorry, nothing yet. I promise you're the first one to know."

* * *

"I expected a phone call, not a Skype one… But I'm very happy with this one as well, let me tell you that." Lou smiled to Catherine, still sleepy as he ruffled his hair.

"I know… But I figured this maybe cheered you up a bit more, though I'm sure some sleep has done magic as well."

Catherine's sweet smile made Lou warm inside, telling her sleep indeed had helped him; she didn't need to know he'd been awake most of the time, pissed about Jim still not having more information about the phone number.

"So.. What can I do to cheer you up?"

Lou licked his lips unconsciously before replying: "You sure you don't know yet?" Her distinctive laugh made him smile too, wondering what she would say.

"Well, I don't know about that. I had something else in mind though…"

He raised his eyebrows, but Catherine didn't give him a chance to reply. She'd turned on some soft music playing Sway by the Pussycat Dolls and said: "Just sit. And watch." She moved closer to her laptop to adjust her camera before walking away a little bit so she was fully on camera. It was then that Lou realized what she was about today; she was giving him a striptease.

Catherine moved her hips slightly, reminding Lou slightly of their quite recent adventure in which she'd been dancing as ell; only her clothes had already been off than. She removed her heels easily, and Lou knew she was teasing him when she showed him the belt she was wearing, slowly unbuckling it and removing it from her waist.

The moment her hands hit the button of her jeans, Lou gulped; how was that woman able to be so sexy with simple movements? She still had all her clothes on, yet Lou already felt an uncomfortable feeling inside of his pants; he was glad he was wearing his sweats. His eyes were still fixated on the screen, showing Catherine's back, slowly worming herself out of her jeans, revealing her perfect ass, clad in pale blue panties. She turned back around and teasingly touched herself, moaning slightly, before moving her hands up to her stomach, touching her blouse.

Lou couldn't help himself as he pulled his sweats and boxers down in a swift movement, revealing his rock hard penis.

"Did I tell you to do that, Lou?"

"Shut up, keep doing what you're doing."

Catherine had a hard time hiding her smile as she took of her shirt, twirled it around for a second, and then tossed it to the side. She could tell Lou was having a hard time keeping his eyes open as his hand was moving around his member, arousing Catherine as he did.

"Show's almost over, baby," Catherine muttered while moving her hands over her body, caressing herself as her hands slowly moved to her back. She could hear Lou's groans and him saying her name a couple of times, causing her body to react as well.

The moment she unclasped her pale blue bra aside and revealed her hard nipples, Lou came. He groaned her name out loud as he slightly shocked. His breath was heavy when he said: "God, Cath… The things you do to me."

She smiled at him before saying: "And I hadn't even got rid of my panties yet.."

* * *

Lou knew Catherine had to eat and that he had to get some more sleep before shift, but he still wished their Skype session could've lasted forever. The more he talked to Catherine, the more he seemed to miss her. Not to mention the way he'd been worrying about her the last couple of hours. He knew that, in every other case, he would've stayed calm and tell the people involved it was probably some sick joke. It was hard to accept that though now that it involved himself and the woman he loved dearly.

He was ready to close his eyes and get some more sleep when his phone beeped. He picked up, immediately alert when he saw a text message without a phone number. _Didn't I tell you to lose the redhead? I could tell both of you loosened up, but that's another kind of losing… Stop fooling around with her, detective._

"Shit."

Lou immediately jumped out of his bed and made his way to the phone inside of his kitchen, dialing Jim Brass's number again. "Jim? It's Vartann… I got another text message. We need to get on top of this, Jim, there really is something bad going on."

Jim stepped into Lou's living room fifteen minutes later. He didn't give Lou time to apologize again as he said: "Okay, show me that message." Lou handed Jim his phone, who said after a few seconds: "Okay… The thing you have to explain to me though is what this loosening up is?"

"Yeah, well… That may be kind of embarrassing for you to hear. Cath and I have been kind of… Exploring our, well, sexual relationship towards Skype."

It took a few seconds until it dawned on Jim what the younger detective meant. "Ah. I see. No need to talk more about that. What does bother me though, is that there's a person knowing what you and Catherine are doing on your computers."

Reality started to dawn on Lou, and for a split second, he freaked out. What if there was someone in Catherine's apartment? Jim could sense Lou's sudden swift of mood and said: "Is there anyone we can call to get to Catherine now? A co-worker, friend?"

Lou shrugged. "I don't trust any of them. Or, wait a minute… Grissom's visiting Washington for some lectures. We can call him."

* * *

"Willows?"

"Catherine, it's raining and I'm on your doorstep… Can you open the door?"

Catherine raised her eyebrows while walking to her front door as she said: "Gil, you can ring the doorbell you know, it's only eight."

"Just open the door, Catherine." Her friend's serious voice startled Catherine slightly and she fastened her pace , opening her front door within seconds.

Gil was glancing around behind him when Catherine opened the door, not even noticing Catherine in front of him. "Ehm.. Gil? Hello?"

"Oh." He turned around. "Hi." He brushed pass her without a notice, surprising Catherine, before he said: "Cath, I need you to pack some stuff and come with me."

He uttered her to her bedroom with a serious look on his face, yet Catherine didn't take him all so seriously as she chuckled and said: "Aha… And why is that, you're gonna kidnap me or what?"

"Catherine, I'm serious… Grab some clothes, whatever stuff you women need in order to make yourself look pretty… Not saying that you're not pretty without them… Anything you need. Except your laptop."

"Excuse me? I need it… To email Lindsey, get in touch with Lou.." Catherine shook her head as she grabbed an overnight bag and walked to her closet. "I'd really appreciate it if you would tell me what is going on, Gil." She threw in some underwear and a blazer as she looked at her friend.

"I promise I'll tell you later, Cath, but right now I really need you to grab your things."

Catherine did as he told her, sensing something was wrong, not asking Gil any more questions. She quickly made her way over to the bathroom to grab a few of her make-up items, and less than five minutes later, she was done. Gil caught her staring at her laptop and said: "You can use mine if you really need to, Catherine. Come on, let's get to my car. Are all windows closed?"

She nodded, grabbing the bag and her normal purse before quickly following Gil. Mere minutes later, the two were inside Gil's car, Gil ready to get her away from her place. His hand was on his gear-shift, ready to make his car drive, when he felt Catherine's warm hand covering his, uttering him to look at her as she said: "Gil, please, for God's sake, what is going on?"

_Note: End of chapter 5. New text-message, and now Gil's informed about the case as well... What did you guys think? xx_


	7. Mistaken Identity

_Note: Hi guys! Thanks so much for the nice responses about this story so far, it makes me very happy! Next chapter's here, hope you guys like it! X. _

**Chapter 6: Mistaken Identity**

"Oh my God…"

Catherine sipped the tea Gil had made her, uttering those words after he'd finally told her everything that was going on. She thought for a second before saying: "Are they sure this isn't just some sick joke? It's so… Strange. And only two messages.."

Gil shrugged. "That's what I said when I got the call as well. Thing is though that the person sending the messages is…. Ehm… Well-aware of what you and Vartann are doing on your computers."

She raised an eyebrow, but when Gil's words dawned on her and she realized what they meant, she couldn't help a small blush form on her cheeks. "Ah. Let's not get into that."

A chuckle escaped from Gil's lips; it wasn't often Catherine was the one embarrassed. "Agree. But that is why we think you and Vartann should stop using your computers. Even your cellphones, perhaps."

"But how am I supposed to stay in touch with Lindsey then?"

"Maybe the computers at work," Gil offered.

"What if that person is someone from work though," Catherine thought out loud.

Gil shrugged; that was a good point. He wasn't sure how to answer that though, but he was aware of Catherine knowing that. He smiled at her before saying: "You're staying with me for a while. I'm gonna call you in sick next morning… I discussed this with Brass, and we figured we should not tell anything to your boss yet. They first want to try and find some more information, hoping to trace a number or anything. You're okay with that?"

"Do I really have a choice?"

"Well, no. But it's kinda nice of me to at least give you the idea you do, isn't it?"

She chuckled. "How thoughtful of you, Gil, thank you." Catherine paused for a bit, trying to let all the information sink in. So… There was a stalker. Someone who was after her. Or Lou. Probably both. Who'd perhaps seen the things she and Lou had been doing on Skype…. That wasn't too good. She looked at Gil, a thankful smile gracing her face as she said: "Thanks for helping me, Gil. You have no idea how happy I am to have you here…"

"I'll always help you Catherine, you know that."

Catherine bit her lip before saying: "Gil… Is there a way for me to talk to Lou? Without being listened to by some kind of freak?"

"I'll call Brass."

* * *

"Lou?"

"Cath, hey… I'm glad you got a hold of me, must've been hard."

"Yeah… Glad Gil's still thinking like a normal person and is here to help. This is scary, Lou…"

Lou could tell Catherine was indeed upset about the recent events, something he couldn't blame her for. "I know, honey… I'm so sorry."

He was glad when he heard her chuckle before she said: "Not your fault. I just can't believe this is happening. It's so strange… I'm doubting everyone I know here right now, there are so many things going through my head."

"We're not even sure yet if the threats are coming from Quantico or not. The person that's been sending the messages is aware of technology and how to use it."

"Hmm."

"Just get some sleep honey… Grissom's there, he'll help you. I'm sure you're safe with him now. We'll do our best here to find out what's going on. Promise to take care of yourself, okay?"

"I will. You too?"

"Always. I love you honey."

"Love you too, Lou. I miss you."

"I miss you too. Sweet dreams, honey."

He hung up the phone, massaging his temples afterwards. This sucked. He wanted to help Catherine so bad, but there wasn't that much he could do from Vegas. Besides working the case, that was. He wished he was close to her, to help take care of her. And the other way around, too. Lou hated admitting it, but the situation was bothering him a lot too. Someone was able to see what they had been doing on their computers; that was just crazy. He was making his way over to Jim's office to hand him his phone back, when Hodges appeared from a door, yelling his name. "Vartann! Archie's looking for you and Brass! Why don't you guys answer your pagers?"

"I'll get Brass, Hodges, thanks. Where's Archie?"

"Video room." As soon as Hodges had come, he disappeared. Lou was in Jim's office within a minute, knocking before barging in and saying: "Archie's looking for us."

"Oh." Brass searched around his desk for his pager, eventually finding it hidden under a bunch of paper, before getting up, walking alongside Vartann, who handed him his phone back. "Thanks for letting me call her."

"No problem. I know it's tough to not be able to speak so easily. Don't give into temptation though; those laptops and cell phones can reveal a lot to the person that's keeping an eye on you guys."

"I know."

They entered the video room in which Archie had been for a few hours, the younger man immediately looking up as he said: "Hey. Glad you two are here. I've been trying very hard to find a phone number or an address from which those messages were sent. Nothing useful came up though. What I did manage to find though is the sort of signal the phone needed in order to send those numbers. There can be some inaccuracy in this statement, but I think it's safe to say that the messages have been sent from a phone around Washington DC."

Lou's eyes almost popped out of his head, realizing the message was sent from a place close to where Catherine was living, which had feared. He turned to Jim before saying: "I think we should check Catherine's neighbors and co-workers."

* * *

"You're sure you're okay with this, Gil? I can sleep on the couch, you know."

"Like I said, Catherine, you need your rest. We've been friends for years.. I think I can handle sleeping in the same bed as you."

Catherine chuckled. "Good." Catherine was a bit surprised with Gil's behavior; he was so bold and not at all scared for any kind of intimacy. She was glad though; it was nice to have her friend so close to her.

Gil turned off his night lamp, knowing it was time for both of them to get some sleep. Catherine turned herself to face him though, her eyes perfectly visible despite the darkness, and said: "Gil.. I'm scared of what's gonna happen. What if they're not just trying to scare me, and actually want me and Lou to get hurt? This is so messed up."

Within a second, Gil turned on the little lamp again and looked at the woman next to him, who was looking pale and vulnerable. Gil could tell she was upset and scared, and it hurt him. This wasn't at all the Catherine he knew. He looked at her, a reassuring smile on his face as he said: "It'll be fine, Catherine. Nothing's gonna happen while you're here, I promise. Get some rest… We'll discuss things again in the morning."

"Okay. Thanks Gil, good night."

"Good night, Catherine."

Gil's steady breaths told Catherine her friend was sleeping tight. It wasn't that simple for her though. Her head felt heavy and full. Who in the world wanted to hurt her and Lou? Could it be someone they had arrested? A family member or friend of a person they'd arrested? Perhaps one of their own acquaintances? Catherine was thankful for Gil being with her now, but at the same time, she wished Lou was there with her. She couldn't bear the thought of something happening to him while she was so far away from him.

* * *

"Gil! Is Catherine with you?"

The voice of Jim on the other end of the phone sounded irritated and busy, but Gil knew it was because of his work. Not only had Jim to deal with the usual cases, he was now trying to help Catherine and Lou as well. "No, she's taking a shower. What is going on?"

"We've been able to confirm that the messages that were sent to Lou have been sent from a place near Washington. Have you heard Catherine talk about an annoying person she has met since she lives in Quantico, or a nasty co-worker, anything?"

Gil thought for a second. The only thing Catherine had in fact told him was that she really didn't knew that many people yet, besides her co-workers. He did remember her commenting on her annoying boss though, and even though Catherine was a big fan of her partner Samuel, he didn't like the guy that much. "She told me her boss was creepy… I don't know his name though, but I'm sure you'll find out. She told me she hasn't met that many new people yet though beside her co-workers, I don't recall her saying anything about someone else. And.. Well, these aren't Catherine's words, but I met her partner from work, Samuel Preston. Catherine thinks he's all nice, but I didn't really trust the guy… Perhaps you can search him too."

He could tell Jim was searching through some papers before saying: "Okay, we'll take a look at it. Preston, right?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, good, thanks Gil. Just make sure Catherine doesn't know about this ,okay? I don't think it'll be good for her to know this. I don't want her to go start her own little investigation, okay? Make sure she'll or you call her in sick at work."

"No problem, Jim. Thanks for the heads up."

"You too, we'll talk later."

* * *

_Catherine called in sick. Really? I don't buy it for a second. Her laptop wasn't on last night, nor did she use her phone… I'm sure that boyfriend of hers has told her something. I can't imagine either one of them wanting to miss their Skype appointments, considering the way they were going recently.. Even I felt like getting myself a girlfriend just so I could make her do that on Skype after seeing what Catherine and that detective did. Pissed me off that mister detective let Catherine know about my messages. Perhaps I should take things to the next level….Maybe the detective will take me more serious then._

* * *

_Note: In case it's not perfectly clear, the last couple of sentences are from the point of view of Catherine and Lou's crazy stalker. What are you guys thinking of it so far? xx._


	8. Paper

_Note: Hi folks, sorry for the long wait... I've been super busy, just finished this, and decided to update quickly.. 'Cause you guys deserve it ;-). Thanks so much for the reviews, they make me very happy. Please enjoy! xx._

**Chapter 7: Paper**

Catherine's hair was still dripping when she got out of the bathroom, dressed in a pairs of jeans and a simple black sweater, her face still a little pale. She smiled at Gil, who said: "Hey. You're ready for breakfast?"

"Yeah… Where are we going?"

"Well… I ordered room service."

Catherine raised her eyebrow, ready to complain, when Gil revealed plates with pancakes, strawberry's, coffee, fresh orange juice and croissants. She smiled again as she said: "Ah Gil… That's sweet of you. You do know I have to work in a bit, right?"

She sat down at the small table in Gil's hotel room, pointing at him to sit on the other chair as she grabbed a croissant. Gil sat down too, taking some of his coffee, knowing what was about to come was going to be quite an argument. "Catherine… Jim, Vartann and I.. We discussed this, and we all agreed on calling you in sick the next couple of days."

Catherine's eyes pierced through Gil's as she put her croissant down before saying: "What is that good for?"

"Catherine.. We don't know who's been sending those messages. It could easily be someone from work. You shouldn't put yourself at any risk?"

"Well, don't you think it's kind of suspicious for me to not show up at work?" She took a bite of her croissant before saying: "Wouldn't that person, saying it is a co-worker, get suspicious?"

Gil shrugged. "Perhaps. But you're with me. I cancelled my lectures, you're not gonna get rid of me any time soon."

"Okay, fine. I'm not agreeing on this thing though. I do need to get back to my apartment… I need some stuff that I didn't take with me last night." Catherine looked at Gil, a look in her eyes that told Gil she wasn't going to agree on anything but what she wanted. "Okay, Cath, but we're gonna go together, after breakfast. Like I said, I'm not leaving you on your own."

They stood in front of Catherine's place almost an hour later. Catherine told Gil he could stay in the car, but he insisted on coming with her. He followed her up the stairs, where she quickly grabbed some more underwear, a few bottles Gil couldn't tell of what they were, a pair of jeans and some more female-stuff Gil wasn't too familiar with. Once downstairs, she quickly scanned her mail, not noticing anything besides lots of advertisements. "Okay, I'm ready! That was quick, huh?"

Gil chuckled as he checked his watch. "Five minutes, top. Very good."

She smiled before ushering him out of her house again, locking it quickly before saying: "Wonder when you let me get back here again."

Gil was about to reply when he noticed a white piece of paper on the car. Catherine caught Gil staring at something and noticed the paper within seconds as well. "Gil… That wasn't there before, was it?"

He shook his head. The two walked closer to the piece of paper, hidden underneath the wiper of the windscreen. Gil realized they needed to pick up the piece of paper and said: "Cath, I think one of should get some gloves to pick it up, just in case."

She nodded, but then said: "Where I'm I supposed to find gloves, Gil? It's summertime and I don't have a CSI kit anymore."

A smug smile appeared on Gil's face as he opened his own car, coming out a few seconds later, before saying: "You're lucky to have me." Catherine couldn't help but smile at the man, still a CSI in his heart, as he carefully grabbed the piece of paper, inspecting it before folding it open. _I see you've got two boyfriends now. Be careful, Red, I see everything and I know everything. You're scared, aren't you? You should be. Stay away from that detective, Red. Things will be bad for both of you if you don't._

"Gil? What does it say?" Catherine stepped closer, Gil still not responding to her question. She read over his shoulder, chills overcoming her when she read the written words. Catherine wasn't sure what to think of this, but one thing was definitely sure; this person wasn't joking around.

* * *

Lou knew he wasn't rested when he got out of his bed around noon, not able to get any sleep. He missed talking to Catherine. Besides that, he was pissed because the investigation on the threats he'd received was going nowhere. Jim'd looked up the files of Catherine's co-workers, and according to the older detective, nothing strange had been found. Lou had wanted to check the files himself, but unfortunately, the murders in Las Vegas weren't on a break now that Lou was receiving threats. Since the investigation towards those threats wasn't official yet, he couldn't let other cases just pass. It was so frustrating.

When Lou's phone rung and showed an unknown number, Lou was debating on whether he should answer or not. He was glad when he did, since he immediately heard Catherine's voice telling him it was her.

"Cath, hi honey!"

"Hey… I'm not waking you up, am I?"

"No, no.. Couldn't sleep anyway. Are you okay?"

Lou could tell she wasn't when she said: "Yeah, everything's okay. With you?"

"Okay. Just concerned and frustrated… What's wrong with you, I can tell something's up."

"Yeah, there is… But I don't want to bother you with that now."

"Honey, please… What is going on?"

He heard her sigh before she said: "I went to my apartment this morning to pick up some stuff… Gil and I got inside, and when we got out, we found a letter on the car. We'd been inside for five minutes, definitely not more… It was kinda nasty. Well, not kind of, it was."

Lou sat up straight immediately. What the hell? "What did it say, Catherine?"

"Hold on.." He could hear her call for Gil and mere seconds later, she said: "It said: I see you've got two boyfriends now. Be careful, Red, I see everything and I know everything. You're scared, aren't you? You should be. Stay away from that detective, Red. Things will be bad for both of you if you don't."

Lou repeated the words quickly in his own head, realizing that the person was aware of where Catherine lived, of Gil's friendship with Catherine… And for some reason, the person was aware of the moment that Catherine had visited her house as well. "Jesus… Okay. Honey, can you do me a favor and switch from hotel room?"

Catherine chuckled on the other side of the line before saying: "We just did… When we sat in the car Gil said it would be best to move to another room, in case someone was able to get our phone records and stuff. This is getting very crazy, Lou, I'm really getting worried."

"I understand. Honey, I'll get to the station as soon as I can to see if I can get something more. Listen… I don't want you to get that piece of paper checked on fingerprints at your work."

"Gil already did… I tell you, he never got rid of being a CSI. Nothing, though. It's not gonna be useful."

"Hmm… I'll think about what we can do with it. How are you.. Besides all this crazy stuff?"

"Okay… I miss Linds, you, my work, my apartment… The Skype-dates we had…"

Lou chuckled, almost able to hear Catherine's desire as she spoke. "Me, too. That's got to wait a while though."

* * *

Lou wasn't surprised to find Jim Brass in his office when he got to the police department way too early that night. He knocked on the detective's door before saying: "Jim, hey.. Listen, can I check those files of Catherine's co-workers as well?"

"Don't trust me?"

"Of course I do, I just…" It wasn't until Jim's small grin that Lou realized the man had been kidding. Jim handed him the files before saying: "Take your time."

"Thanks, Jim. I got a call from Catherine a few hours ago… She's received a threat letter. I don't know what this person is doing, but this is getting insane…"

* * *

Lou's eyes scanned the files one by one, slowly giving up hope. Only two files were left, and Lou was almost convinced he wouldn't be able to find anything in those as well. When he opened the file, he read the name of Samuel Preston; Catherine's partner. He almost wanted to skip the file, not recognizing the name and almost sure the man was all good, when he noticed the photograph. Lou looked better, trying to be sure he wasn't just seeing things. This couldn't be… "Fuck….."

_Note: Not too long, sorry... Hope you guys still enjoyed it. So.. What do you guys think Lou's cursing about? xxx_


End file.
